Muslim Designer Sews Two Cultures In One, Halal Fashion Culture

LEWISTON, Maine:—– Muslim Fashion is now emerging in America gaining respect and popularity through a fashion designer and emerging entrepreneur. Cheetah Prints on skirt look like disco ball on a Somali immigrant, Sahro Hassan, who came here in Lewinston when she was only 10. She is frenzic for fashion, not fitting well in the old society of Lewinston, Maine.

Sahro wears hijab, headscarf like other Muslim women do, but with a bright orange colour, a new touch in Halal fashion: she has modern but modest designs to get attraction. It seems as if the trend touches lower boundary of European and upper boundary of Islamic fashion.

Born in a Kenyan refugee camp, Sahro came with her parents to Indiana where she studied at school with much difficulty.

“One day I was wearing head scarf and I was brought to the school office and I didn’t speak a word in English as I didn’t know much,” Sahro says. Then Sahro’s father heard about the growing Somali community in Lewiston. Soon her parents went to Lewiston to join other Somali families.

In Lewiston, Sahro put her hijab back on as there were no such problems here: she started learning English and delved into blending two cultural fashions into one. Sahro likes fashion reality shows like “Project Runway” and “What Not to Wear.”

“I wouldn’t become Lady Gaga extreme, but I like something that people look at it and think, “Oh my God, that’s interesting”. Like, what is she wearing,” Sahro says. She says her mom watches too, though she’s shocked by what she sees.

“Our atmosphere use bikinis and stuff. My parents are against that because that’s not how they raised us,” Sahro says. “Mom thinks they are naked this way, but I tell the people wearing the stuff don’t think so”

Her parents are not worried about her. She’s not inspired by what she sees on the shows: bikinis, mini-skirts, crop tops. She’s inspired by what she has inherited.

“My biggest dream is to continue my business, but make it big that it’s known in the country, have my own halal fashion store opened and even have a franchise,” she says. “I want to be the CEO of my halal fashion company.

She’s ready to show the world her unique halal fashion vision — without showing too much, of course.